Wade Kirkpatrick
5th Degree Blackbelt
Master Instructor

Sensei Wade Kirkpatrick is a 5th Degree Master Instructor Black Belt and member of the Zen Do Kai International Karate Organization. Sensei Kirkpatrick has been training in Zen Do Kai for the last 24 years, 19 of those spent teaching. A direct student of Sensei Robert Gifford, 7th Degree Black Belt and Director of the ZDK in the southwestern United Sates, since he was in the kids class, Kirkpatrick went on to become the youngest person to achieve Black Belt in the history of Zen Do Kai. Sensei Kirkpatrick has been employed by the KickStart Foundation for 10 years and has taught time in the Galveston, Houston and Fort Bend Independent school districts. He currently serves as KickStart’s Area 3 Team Leader and oversees 4 instructors and over 750 martial arts students.

Kirkpatrick served as KickStart’s Houston City Wide Black Belt Demo Team Coach for two seasons and was responsible for choreographing demos for former President George Bush, President George W. Bush, Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, Chuck Norris, former Mayor Lee Brown and a host of other individuals. In 1999, Kirkpatrick’s City Wide Team was asked to perform on an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger. Kirkpatrick has been named Zen Do Kai’s Instructor of the Year twice, Black Belt of the Year and was won Bushido Award for bringing recognition to the Zen Do Kai through tournament competition.

1n 1995 he was named Sugar Land’ Outstanding Citizen by Sugar Land Mayor Lee Duggan and Police Chief Ernest Taylor. Sensei Kirkpatrick has been an avid competitor since 1984 having competed in karate tournaments, boxing and Muy Tai full contact kickboxing events.

Sensei is an 8 time Texas State Champion having won the title in A.O.K, T.N.T and N.B.L all in the same year to unify the title. State titles were won in weapons, traditional Japanese kata, musical kata and light heavyweight point sparring. He later went on to win 37 consecutive 1st place victories, a state record, over a year and a half span, culminating with being named Men’s Golden Greek Award winner for the best all-around black belt player in 1997.

Sensei was named to Texas’ Golden Greek Award Hall of Fame that same year and was on two magazine covers and a number of feature articles related to the events. After competing at the state level for a number of years, Kirkpatrick went on to represent Texas as the number one see in the National Black Belt Leagues’ World Championships in Washington D.C., placing 6th in the World and his fight was shown on ESPN’s “prime sports”.

Kirkpatrick then got his boxing license in the USA Gulf Coast Association Boxing and fought under Carlos Patina of Galveston, Texas. Muy Tai full contact matches came next under the tutelage of Kru Pong of Thailand.

Sensei enjoys using these experiences to bring out the best in each of his students whatever their ambitions in the “Art” may be as well as operating a well rounded dojo with his wife and school manager Karen.

We also encourange the higher rank students to participate in teaching as well to pass on their knowledge to newer students and continue to fine tune their skills.